Reels for carrying inked ribbons in printing machines



March 4, 1969 A. M. J. STEPHAN HEELS FOR CARRYING INKED RIBBONS IN PRINTING MACHINES Sheet Filed Aug. 7, 1967 REELS FOR CARRYING INKED RIBBONS IN PRINTING MACHINES March 4, 1969 A.VM. J. STEPHAN Z of 4 Sheet Filed Aug. 7, 1967 March 4, 1969 A. M. J. STEPHAN 3,430,884

REELS FOR CARRYING INKED RIBBONS IN PRINTING MACHINES 7 Filed Aug. 7, 1967 I Sheet 3v aMmvM/QMU F 514% A. M. J. STEPHAN March 4, 1969 HEELS FOR CARRYING INKED RIBBONS IN PRINTING MACHINES Sheet of4 Filed Aug. 7, 1967 ADHESIVE ADHESIVE United States Patent 3,430,884 REELE; FOR CARRYING INKED RIBBONS IN PRINTING MACHINES Alain Maurice Joseph Stphan, Paris, France, 'assignor to Societe Industrielle Bull-General Electric (Societe Anonyme), Paris, France Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 658,738 Claims priority, application2 France, Aug. 31, 1966,

U.S. Cl. 242-74 3 Claims Int. Cl. B65h 75/18 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to improvements in reels for carrying inked ribbons in printing machines, wherein the printing of the marks, signs or characters is effected by mechanical striking.

Printers of this type comprise a type-carrying device which generally consists of a drum, a set of wheels, 2. system of toothed racks or a chain, and which has formed in relief on its periphery characters adapted to be printed. The characters are printed line-by-line on one or more paper tapes advanced step-by-step between the typecarrying device and a row of striking mechanisms. Generally speaking, the inking is effected by means of an inked ribbon disposed between the paper and the typecarrying device and secured at its ends to two reels on to which it is alternately wound. This inked ribbon consists of an ink-impregnated ribbon of moist fabric, of a ribbon or carbon paper or of any other ribbon coated with a printing material having optical, magnetic or other properties and adapted to be completely or partly transferred.

When it is desired to position in a printing machine an inked ribbon whose ends are each adhesively secured to a reel, it is essential to open the machine in order to remove the type-carrying device sufficiently from the set of striking mechanisms and thus to permit the passage of a reel in order that it may be engaged in the driving members of the machine.

However, it has been found advantageous to construct non-opening printers, which are of simplified form and less rigid and which are consequently less costly. However, with these printers, it is then necessary to employ inked ribbons such that one of the ends of an inked ribbon may be separated from its reel in order that it may be engaged in the machine. After having been engaged, this ribbon is again made fast with the reel from which it was separated. For this purpose, various means of making a ribbon fast with a reel have been proposed. For example, securing systems comprising clips or hooks are known, but it is always costly to produce these systems satisfactorily. Therefore, in the majority of cases, the attachment is eifected by means of an adhesive tape, which is more economical. However, the use of this tape has proved inconvenient owing to the fact that, in order to position the reels in the machine, the operator must use both hands, which are then not free for appropriately disposing the adhesive tape. This operation is the more ice inconvenient as, at the time of the attachment of the ribbon to a reel, it is necessary to position the leader tape with precision on the reel in relation to the axis of rotation of the said reel if it is desired that the ribbon shall be correctly wound on to the reel, without shifting or creasing.

The invention concerns improvements in reels by means of which an inked ribbon may be correctly and rapidly positioned in a printing machine, without the operator having to soil his fingers in the course of this operation.

One object of the present invention concerns a reel for supporting and driving an inked ribbon in a printing machine, which reel is adapted to be mechanically coupled to driving members of the said machine, the said reel being characterised in that it is provided over at least a part of its external surface with an adhesive coating, which is in turn covered by protective ribbons disposed parallel to the axis of the reel, each ribbon being adapted to be removed in order to expose a fersh portion of the adhesive coating to which one securing end of an inked ribbon is then applied and thereafter fixed by pressure.

A further object of the invention concerns a reel for supporting and driving an inked ribbon, wherein means are provided for the correct alignment of the end of an inked ribbon at the time of the attachment of the said ribbon to the reel.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view in section through the printing mechanism of a printing machine comprising a type drum,

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view in perspective indicating the relative positions of the inked ribbon, the type drum and the reels in that part of the machine which is illustrated in section in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of a reel derived from a known construction,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a part of the reel illustrated in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View showing a portion of a reel according to the invention, designed in accordance with a first embodiment,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view showing a portion of a reel according to the invention, designed in accordance with a second embodiment.

FIGURE 1 is intended to show the main features of a printing mechanism of a printing machine designed to employ, in a more particularly advantageous manner, reels designed in accordance with the invention. It will be assumed by way of example that the printing machine partly illustrated in FIGURE 1 is a type-drum machine, but it will be obvious that the reels according to the invention may also be adapted to machines comprising wheels, toothed racks or chains, as also to a large variety of recording machines comprising an inked or similar ribbon employed for the printing.

The diagrammatic drawing of FIGURE 2 shows in perspective the relative positions of the main parts constituting the printing mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The printing mechanism illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises essentially a type drum 102 which r0- tates at constant speed and past which there move a paper web 139 and an inked ribbon 101. A set of striking mechanisms 114 is disposed in front of the drum, in such manner as to apply the paper and the inked ribbon to the drum for a very brief time, and thus to produce the printing on the paper. The printing takes place at the level of a line 107, called the printing line, on which the striking mechanisms are aligned. The paper 139 which arrives from the bottom of the machine is engaged between two guide plates 130 and 181, and passes, as shown in FIGURE 1, between the inked ribbon 101 and the set of striking mechanisms 114. The paper thereafter passes over a driving roller 115 provided with pointed teeth which engage in perforations along the edges of the paper in order to feed the latter forwards.

The inked ribbon is secured at its ends to two driving reels 103 and 104 by means of flexible bands or lead tapes 105 and 106 (FIG. 2), which are wider than the inked ribbon 101 and are each provided with a bar 108 and a bar 109. These bars are adapted to act on a blade 110 fixed at its centre to a double contactor CI (FIG. 1) whose contacts control the reversal of the movement of the inked ribbon when one end of the latter advances towards the printing line 107. The contactor CI is enclosed in a protective casing 120. FIGURES l and 2 show that, from the support reel 103, the inked ribbon 101 passes successively over a roller 112 and then over two rollers 117 and 118 which maintain the said inked ribbon in immediate proximity to the type drum 102 without, however touching it, and finally becomes wound upon the reel 104. In order that the paper may not be spotted by the inked ribbon as a result of displacements of the said ribbon and of the said paper, a flexible anti-spotting sheet 119 is disposed between the paper and the inked ribbon in a zone commencing a little below the printing line 107 and extending to the neighbourhood of the roller 118. Spotting above the printing line 107 is prevented by spacing the paper sufiiciently away from the inked ribbon. It is also to be noted that the anti-spotting sheet 119 constitutes, in combination with a plate 116 to which it is secured, a unit which participates in the guiding of the inked ribbon and which, as will hereinafter be seen, greatly facilitates the positioning of the inked ribbon in the machine.

FIGURE 3 illustrates an empty reel which is derived from a known construction. This reel is disposed in the machine to receive a fresh inked ribbon which, when supplied, is already wound on a similar reel. The reel which is shown in FIGURE 3 consists of a cylinder 103 made of a material which has sufiicient rigidity not to undergo deformation. It will be assumed that this material is, for example, paper impregnated with a thermosetting resin or the like.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show that in the described example the cylinder 103 is provided on its external surface, except at the parts situated at the two ends of the cylinder, with a sheet 201 which is adhesively secured to the said cylinder and whose external surface is adhesive, the adhesive external surface of the said sheet being in turn covered by a series of protective ribbons 202 disposed side-by-side and extending parallel to the axis of the cylinder. However, it is to be noted that the use of an adhesive sheet to form the said adhesive surface is not essential and that this surface could also be obtained, for example, by covering the cylinder with a layer of adhesive material, the cylinder having optionally been previously coated with a suitable impermeable material to prevent drying of the adhesive material.

Each of the protective ribbons 202 may be removed from the cylinder to expose a portion of the adhesive coating which is intended to receive the leader of an inked ribbon freshly positioned in the machine. For this purpose, each protective ribbon is provided with a nonstuck portion forming a tongue 203 by means of which the ribbon may be more conveniently grasped in order to separate it from the cylinder. In the embodiment illustrated by way of example in FIGURE 3, the tongues are disposed at one of the ends of the protective ribbons and outside the adhesive portion of the cylinder. Of course, a tongue could also be provided at the other end of each protective ribbon. It is also to be noted that, although the number of protective ribbons is a priori optional, it may be desirable to make this number such that each ribbon has a width such that it can be readily removed, having regard to the quality of the adhesive material, while exposing a portion of the adhesive coating which is sufiicient to ensure appropriate attachment of the inked ribbon. However, it is always possible to withdraw as many protective ribbons as may be necessary to expose a sufiicient portion of the adhesive coating.

FIGURE 3 further shows that in the described example the reel is formed with two slots 204 by means of which the said reel may be engaged inside the driving members of the machine, but it is obvious that the presence of the said slots is not absolutely essential for the drive of the reel, which could be driven by any other appropriate driving means, depending upon the type of machine employed.

The fresh inked ribbons which are intended to be employed in the printing machines of the type illustrated in FIGURE 1 are normally supplied wound on a reel similar to that of the type just described. In this case, the inked ribbon is secured at one of its ends to a portion of the adhesive coating on the reel, the other portions of the said coating naturally being covered with protective tapes.

A printing machine similar to that illustrated in FIG- URE l is provided, when it is to be put into operation for the first time, with an empty reel intended to receive an inked ribbon which is normally wound on a similar reel. Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be assumed that this empty reel is the reel 103. A fresh inked ribbon wound on a reel is then positioned in the said machine as follows. The reel On which the ribbon is wound having been positioned at 104, the operator momentarily removes the empty reel 103 from the machine in order to free the mechanical parts and to facilitate the operation of engaging the inked ribbon in the machine. The leader tape secured to the free end of the said ribbon is then gripped by the operator, who applies it against the plate 116 and pushes it under the lower end of the blade of the double contactor CI. The leader tape pushed by the operator thereafter passes under the roller 118 and, guided by the anti-spotting sheet 119, passes between the paper and the type drum 102, at the level of the printing line. As it continues its travel, the said leader tape thereafter passes between the driving roller and the roller 117 and can then be gripped by the operator, who thereafter pulls it by one hand under the roller 112, the operator continuing to press the leader tape lightly by the other hand against the plate 116 until the leader tape has completely passed under the blade 110. This operation has the object of preventing the leader tape from becoming caught by the blade 110 as it passes, and to ensure that no damage to the leader tape or to the blade occurs. The empty reel 103 is thereafter repositioned in the machine. The operator then detaches one of the protective ribbons 202 from the reel 103 in order to expose a fresh portion of the adhesive coating, and then grips the leader tape of the inked ribbon in his hands and holds it above the exposed portion of the adhesive coating without, however, touching it, as shown in FIGURE 4. Using both hands, the operator can then position the leader tape of the inked ribbon on the reel with precision simply by bringing the end of this leader tape against the end of the protective ribbon next to that which has been removed, as shown in FIGURE 4, since, as has already been indicated in the foregoing, the protective ribbons have been so disposed that their edges are parallel to the axis of the reel. The operator thereafter exerts a pressure on the leader tape in order to apply it against the exposed portion of the adhesive coating on the reel and thus to fix it on the reel 103. As soon as this operation has been completed, the leader tape which has just been secured is wound on the reel 103 until the bar intended to act on the blade 110 has passed over the upper end of the said blade. The inked ribbon is finally tautened by the operator in known manner so as to prevent spotting of the paper during the printing.

When a used inked ribbon is to be withdrawn from the machine after a certain period of operation and replaced by a fresh inked ribbon wound on a reel according to the invention, it is essential, for withdrawing the used inked ribbon, to wind it completely on one of the two reels on which it is secured. The used inked ribbon may be wound on to either one of these two reels provided that the other one still possesses at least two adjacent protective ribbons covering a last portion of the adhesive coating. In this case, the used inked ribbon having been Wound on to one of the reels, its leader tape, which is secured to the other reel, is separated from the latter and then wound on to the first reel in order to release the second reel. The first reel on which the used inked ribbon is Wound is then withdrawn from the machine in order to be discarded, while the second reel is reused for securing a fresh inked ribbon when it is positioned in the machine.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are sectional views relating to reels according to the invention, but designed in accordance with other embodiments. FIGURE 5 relates to a reel similar to that which is illustrated in FIGURE 3, but in Which each protective ribbon 202' comprises a folded portion 213 which may take the place of a tongue, the fold thus formed being parallel to the axis of the reel so as to serve for aligning the leading edge of the leader tape of an inked ribbon Which is to be secured to the said reel. However,, FIGURE 5 shows that, when a protective ribbon has been removed in order to free a portion of the adhesive coating of the reel, the correct position of the leader tape on the reel is effected by thus bringing the said leader tape into abutment within the interior of the fold of the adjacent protective ribbon and thereafter applying this leader tape to the exposed portion of the adhesive coating on the reel. A reel of this type may thus be reused a number of times provided that it still possesses at least two adjacent protective ribbons, the latter one serving solely for the accurate positioning of the leader tape on the reel.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a reel according to the invention, but in which the sheet 201 is replaced by a layer of impermeable material 205 of sufficient thickness to be formed with longitudinal grooves such as 206 and 207, and oriented parallel to the axis of the reel. The layer 205 is coated, except for the grooves, with a layer of adhesive material, which is in turn covered by protective ribbons 202. The attachment of an inked ribbon to a reel of this type is effected, after removal of a protective ribbon, by bringing the forward edge of the leader tape of the ribbon into abutment against one of the edges of one of the grooves which bound the exposed portion of the adhesive coating, the groove being chosen in relation to the direction of winding of the inked ribbon on the reel, whereafter, the leader tape having been aligned, the latter is applied to the exposed portion of the adhesive coating, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 6. This type of reel has, as compared with the two previously described types, the advantage that it may be employed as many times as it posseses adhesive portions.

Of course, the embodiments just described have no limiting character. Thus, for example, the protective ribbons which cover the adhesive coating of a reel according to the invention may be obtained by making successive cuts, in a direction parallel to the axis of the reel, in a single protective sheet previously applied to the said adhesive coating. Likewise, the grooves which, in the example last described, serve for the correct positioning of the leader tape of an inked ribbon on the reel may be replaced by flutings extending parallel to the axis of the reel or by any other form of uneven features of the external surface of the reel for accurately aligning the leader tape of an inked ribbon, parallel to the axis of the reel.

The characteristic points of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following claims.

I claim:

1. A detachable reel for driving an inked ribbon in a printing machine, said reel having means to be mechanically coupled to powered members in said machine and having a plurality of portions of its external surface which bear an adhesive coating and which are covered before use by an equal plurality of elongated protective ribbons disposed parallel to the reel axis, said reel being characterized in that each of said protective ribbons has a portion folded over to form a fold parallel to said axis, whereby a securing end of an inked ribbon can be accurately aligned with said axis by abutment within one of said folds, before being attached by pressure on to a previously unmasked neighbouring portion of said adhesive coating.

2. A detachable reel for driving an inked ribbon in a printing machine, said reel having means to 'be mechanically coupled to powered members in said machine and having a plurality of portions of its external surface which hear an adhesive coating and which are covered before use by an equal plurality of elongated protective ribbons disposed parallel to the reel axis, said reel being characterized in that its external surface is fitted with uneven features forming arresting means disposed between the adhesive portions of the reel and positioned to enable the securing end of an inked ribbon to be aligned in parallel relationship with the axis of said reel and the said ribbon to thereafter be applied to a previously exposed neighbouring portion of said adhesive coating.

3. A reel according to claim 2, characterised in that the uneven features of the external surface are formed of grooves extending parallel to the axis of the reel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner. 

